your
year
yourfirst
first year
Promo
Promocode
codePSLA2018
BP2017
Valid
until
31/12/18
Valid until 31/12/17

we are rated A+

Making admin easy
Sharing progress,
by SSL Labsdaily diaries and
with the integrated
Accounting and
WOW moments
Invoicing Package
with parents

to
mple
use,
togreat
use,
great
ple
to use,
great
Register
Register
nownow
for
now
your
free
your
trial
free
attria
Register
for for
your
free
trial
imple
to
use,
great
mer
pport
support
andand
the
and
support
thethe
Register
now
for your free trial a
www.kinderly.co.uk
www.kinderly.co.uk
www.kinderly.co.uk
mer
support
and
the
www.kinderly.co.uk
sarents
love
it”
love
it”
then
from
then
£8
from
+VAT
£8
per
+VAT
month
per
mon
nts love it”
then
from
£8
+VAT
per
month
Excellent customer
support including
live chat, email,
phone and free 1-2-1
tutorials

from
£8 +VAT per month
Or email
Orsupport@kinderly.co.uk
email
support@kinderly.c
Or then
email
support@kinderly.co.u
arly Years Practitioner
Orfor
email
support@kinderly.co.uk
more
for
information
more
information
for
more
information
“It’s simple to use, great
for more
information
Register
now for
your free trial at
www.kinderly.co.uk
then from £8 +VAT per month
Or email
support@kinderly.co.uk
in partnership
in
with
partnership
in partnership
with with
in partnership
with
for more
information

great
app,
very
app,
very and the
eat
app,
very
customer
support
great
app,
very
parents
love it”
ght
thought
out
and
out
and
ought
out
and
thoughtEarly
out
and
Years Practitioner
great
price.”
price.”
eat
price.”
great
price.”

The Infant and Toddler Forum offers advice for promoting healthy
eating in the year ahead

33 Competition

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome
Welcome to Under 5
Happy New Year and welcome to
the January issue of Under 5! I
hope you’ve all had an enjoyable
break and well-earned rest. 2017
was a busy year for the early
years sector and already 2018
is shaping up to be another
eventful one.
This year will see big changes to the rules on how
companies handle data, thanks to the introduction of GDPR
in May. There’s still plenty of time to make sure you are
prepared for the changes and to help we’ve explained the
new regulations and how they will impact your business this
issue (page 12).
The New Year is also a popular time for settings to review
their staffing levels and think about taking on new recruits.
Michelle Brown, HR business partner at the Alliance, has
shared her top tips for finding the best staff for your setting
(page 14). We’ve also tackled some of the issues around
managing maternity leave as an employer (page 25). With
some consideration your maternity policy can help you retain
your best staff, even after a break.
If you are looking to refresh your setting’s menus ready for
a healthy new start to the year, the Infant and Toddler Forum
has shared some tips for making healthy eating a habit (page
32). We’ve also heard from Allergy UK about the best way
to keep children with allergies safe at your setting by being
‘allergy aware’ (page 22).
This month will also see many practitioners drawing up
an events calendar for the year ahead. Alliance quality and
standards manager Melanie Pilcher has shared some ideas
for expanding your plans this year with a more diverse
selection of events (page 24).
We’ve also got lots of ideas for getting your setting
outdoors, whatever the weather brings this January. The
Forest School Learning Initiative has shared some ideas for
introducing forest school sessions – no matter how limited
your outdoor space is (page 18). The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds is asking early years settings to join in its
Big Schools Birdwatch this year. We’ve got all the details on
how you can take part this month (page 20).
As ever, we are keen to hear how you and your setting are
getting on. Please keep sharing your news and photos with
us for My Under 5, as well as your opinions for our letters
page. Email us at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk
Rachel Lawler, editor

UNDER 5

|

3

in brief...

SUGAR DROP: Kellogg’s says it is going to cut the amount of sugar in its best-sellng children’s
cereals by 20-40% by mid 2018. It also plans to stop promoting Frosties to children.

SEED study reports a
rise in early years quality

round-up
Justine Greening announces £50m
funding for school nurseries
Education secretary Justine Greening has
announced plans to tackle social mobility
in the UK, including £50m in funding for
school nurseries. The plan aims to improve
outcomes for disadvantaged children.
Greening announced the plans in a speech
given at the Social Mobility Conference in
London. The Department for E ducation
has also shared a new policy paper, called
Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential, detailing
the plans.
Greening said that tackling social mobility
was the “smart thing to do for our country
and our economy”. She said: “No one should
be held back because of who they are or
where they are born.” She identified the early
years as “the cornerstone of social mobility”
and said that too many children are still falling
behind early on.
The report outlines the government’s plans
to “Close the ‘word gap’ in the early years”.
It says that by age three, disadvantaged
children are an average of 18 months behind
their more advantaged peers in their level of
early language development.
The government plans to invest £5
million in identifying and implementing a
home-learning programme to support early
language development. It will also work with
Public Health England to help early years
practitioners check children’s early language
development.
The report also promises an additional
£50 million in funding to be spent on
creating school-based nursery provision
for disadvantaged children. The report also

4

|

UNDER 5

pledged to identify communities with low
take-up of early education and provide
bespoke support to help improve this.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance,
commented on the plans: “While, in theory,
the government’s plan to put education at the
heart of efforts to improve social mobility is
a positive one, this kind of rhetoric only has
value if it is backed up by meaningful action
- and unfortunately, such action has been
lacking to date.”
He added: “Research has shown that
investment into the early years is the most
effective way to improve children’s long-term
life chances, and yet, for years now, the
sector has been chronically underfunded.
As a result, we’ve seen quality early years
providers across the country being forced out
of business, while many children’s centres
have been reduced to offering little more
than a skeleton service, if they haven’t closed
down all together.
“A commitment to improving access
to early language and literacy is of course
welcome, but quality early years provision
is so much more than this - and until the
government is willing to fund the whole sector
adequately, it’s hard to see plans to improve
social mobility being anything more than an
aspiration.
“The education secretary is right to say that
where you start in life often decides where
you finish. It’s time, then, that the government
put its money where its mouth is and invested
what’s needed to ensure that all children get
the start they deserve.”

The latest report from the government’s
Study of Early Education and
Development (SEED) has concluded
that early childhood education and care
in England is “generally sufficient” and
of a “generally high” quality.
The report says that the quality of
provision has improved over the past
16 years, which it said was linked to
improvements in staff qualifications as
well as other areas.
However, the report also said that
there was scope to increase the quality
of provision in some areas. It also
argued that it is particularly important
to focus on improving the quality of
settings that offer places to two-yearold children.
The report identified a number
of potential targets to help improve
quality, noting that staff training and
development are closely linked to
quality across the sector. Higher staffs
to child ratios and offering specialist
SEND provision were also linked to
higher quality provision.
The Alliance welcomed the study’s
findings, which demonstrate an
improvement in quality despite the
sector’s current struggle with funding.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of
the Alliance, said: “Few working in
the sector will be surprised to hear
that staff qualifications, training and
development, and low staff-child ratios
all contribute to better quality provision
– but of course, at a time when so many
providers are facing such financial
pressure, this is easier said than done.”
Neil added: “There is simply no
doubt that the government’s continued
underfunding of the early years sector
is making the retention of quality staff
and maintaining of ratios increasingly
difficult, and if this doesn’t change
soon, we are likely to see a real
downward pressure on the quality
of provision in a growing number of
settings.”
“As such, rather than using these
findings to congratulate themselves on
a job well done, we hope that this study
serves as a wake-up call to those in
government of the value of the services
that they are currently putting at risk.”

BUSINESS RATES: More than 100 nurseries in Wales will not pay business rates
this year as part of a permanent rate-relief scheme from the Welsh Government

BUDGET: Statistics from the DfE have revealed that the government’s budget
for Sure Start and early years services has fallen by £650 million since 2010

Ofsted’s annual report calls for changes to the
EYFS to “better prepare” children for school
Ofsted has released its annual report,
announcing that 94% of early years
providers are now rated either good
or outstanding – up 20% from 2012. It
also found that the number of childcare
providers has fallen by 16% overall since
2012, with a 26% drop in the number of
childminders in the sector largely behind
the decline.
The report says that there is “some
genuine improvement in the sector”
behind these figures,
but argues that the
EYFS “could be
improved to ensure
that children are
better prepared for the
national curriculum”.
The report adds: “If
the EYFS reflected a
genuine preparation
for Year 1, inspection
outcomes across the
sector might not be
as high.”
In a speech made at
the launch of the report,
Ofsted’s chief inspector,
Amanda Spielman,
said that the rollout of
the 30-hours offer “has largely been a
success” but she added: “I continue to
believe that supply could increase further
if the government allowed the additional
15 hours to be used for childcare rather
than early education.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of
the Alliance, said that it was
“disappointing” to see Ofsted
criticising the EYFS.
Neil said: “Let’s be clear: the
purpose of the EYFS should never be
about ‘preparing’ children for formal
schooling. It should be about fostering
a love of learning through supporting
the broad range of skills, such as
physical development and personal,
social and emotional
development, that
children need in order
to flourish – both inside
and outside of school.”
Neil also responded
to Spielman’s
comments on the
30-hours policy. He
said: “Given that it is
now widely accepted
that separating early
years provision into
‘childcare’ and ‘early
education’ is a deeply
flawed approach,
it is galling to see
such a misinformed
statement being made
by the chief inspector. Such a comment
not only suggests a fundamental
misunderstanding of what early years
provision is, but also risks devaluing
the professionalism of a highly rated
and highly skilled sector.”

“Let’s be
clear: the
purpose of
the EYFS
should never
be about
‘preparing’
children
for formal
schooling.”

Only 7% of eligible parents sign up for tax-free
childcare
The expected cost of tax-free childcare has
plummeted after just 7% of eligible parents
signed up to the scheme after its launch
in April 2017.
The Office for Budget Responsibility
(OBR), a public body that provides
independent economic forecasts and
independent analysis, had estimated that the
scheme would cost £0.8 billion in 2017-18.
The organisation has now forecast that
tax-free childcare will cost as little as £37
million after just 30,000 parents signed up
to the scheme – far less than the 415,000
initially expected.

In its Autumn Budget 2017 policy
measures document, the OBR said that
while it had expected take-up of the
offer to be slower than initially expected
after several delays to the scheme and a
staggered rollout, the number of parents
joining the scheme was still lower than
they had expected.
Earlier this month, a petition calling
for the childcare vouchers scheme to be
kept open attracted more than 100,000
signatures on the government’s website.
The vouchers are currently due to close
to new applicants in April 2018.

Universal credit could
open up early years
funding for 8,000 more
two-year-old children
The government’s new universal credit
scheme will make 8,000 more children
eligible for a funded early years place
aged two, according to plans suggested
by the Department for Education (DfE).
The universal credit scheme is due to
replace jobseeker’s allowance and five
other work-related benefits with a single
payment. Once it is fully rolled-out it will be
used to determine which disadvantaged
families will be able to access funded
childcare for two-year-olds.
The DfE estimates that an additional
8,000 children will be entitled to a funded
two-year-old place under universal
credit. It is now asking for comments
from the sector, as well as families, to
help shape the scheme’s future.
Robert Goodwill, minister for children
and families, commented: “The
introduction of universal credit lies at the
heart of the government’s commitment
to help people improve their lives and
raise their incomes. This consultation will
make sure the two-year-old entitlement
continues to be targeted where it is
needed most.”
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the
Alliance, said: “We have always argued
that all children, and especially those
from more disadvantaged backgrounds,
should have access to quality early
years provision. So a policy change that
would result in more two-year-olds being
eligible for the funded entitlement – even
a relatively small increase of 8,000 – is a
positive move in principle.”
However, Neil also wanted that the
government would need to ensure that
the sector was ready to take an additional
8,000 children. He added: “With the
introduction of the 30-hours scheme,
there is a real danger that childcare
providers struggling to balance the books
will opt to reduce the number of two-yearold funded places in order to deliver the
extended three- and four-year old offer.”
A recent Alliance survey found that
more than four in 10 providers who
planned to deliver the 30 hours were
likely to reduce the number of places
offered to children of other ages as a
result of the policy.

UNDER 5

|

5

Ofsted report calls on
government to “raise the
profile” of mathematics
Ofsted has called on the government
to review the EYFS to include a clearer
focus on reading, writing and maths in a
new report, titled ‘Bold beginnings: The
Reception curriculum in a sample of good
and outstanding primary schools’.
The report argues that the Department
for Education (DfE) should review the
EYFS and the EYFS Profile and bring
Early Learning Goals more in line with the
national curriculum for Year 1.
Ofsted has also argued that reception
year is a “missed opportunity” for too many
children who are at risk of being left “falling
behind their peers”.
The findings are based on feedback
from inspectors who visited 41 ‘good’ or
‘outstanding’ primary schools in England
in the summer term of 2017 and analysed
inspection reports from 150 ‘inadequate’
or ‘requiring improvement’ primary schools
inspected in 2016/17.

National living wage
increases to £7.83
Plans to increase the national living wage by
4.4% to £7.83 an hour have been announced
in the latest Budget.
Chancellor Phillip Hammond has also
announced an increase in the national
minimum wage for employees under 25. The
new minimum rates are as follows:
• £7.38 per hour for 21 to 24 year olds
• £5.90 per hour for 18 to 20 year olds
• £4.20 per hour for 16 to 17 year olds
• £3.70 per hour for apprentices
The announcement is likely to be met with
concern from many early years settings,
following the recent publication of local
authority funding rates for 2018/19 which
confirmed that most councils will not see any
increase in funding next year, while 14% will
have their hourly rate reduced.
Commenting on the announcement, the
Alliance said that it supports the principle
of the National Living Wage and that the
early years workforce should be paid a
fair wage, but warned that that this 4.4%
increase and target of £9 an hour by 2020
will put additional pressure on already
struggling providers.

6

|

UNDER 5

Ofsted said that reception leaders were
“much clearer about their expectations for
children’s literacy than for mathematics”.
The report argues that the DfE should
“raise the profile” of maths teaching and
make a similar investment in resources and
schemes as it has with literacy.
The Alliance has voiced concern over the
report. Chief executive Neil Leitch said that
it was “disappointing” that the report had
focused on aligning the reception year with
Key Stage 1 and literacy and mathematics.
Neil said: “While both skills are of course
vital for early development, research has
shown that a focus on them over and
above broader skills such as physical
development and personal, social and
emotional development, is likely to be
detrimental to children’s early learning
experiences.”
“We urge both the government and
Ofsted to work with early years experts to
ensure that the reception year is focused on
all the skills that children will need during
their primary years, and throughout their
longer educational journeys.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive at the
Alliance, commented: “The Chancellor’s
announcement of an increase in the national
living wage should, in theory, be warmly
welcomed by a workforce that has long been
underpaid – and there’s no doubt that pay
in the early years sector needs to increase.
But without being matched by an increase
in government funding – and given that staff
wages make up around 70-80% of childcare
providers’ overall costs – this move will only
serve to compound providers’ struggles at a
time when a lack of government investment is
threatening their long-term sustainability.”

Alliance Annual
Conference 2018
Minds matter: protection the wellbeing of
children and practitioners in the early years
The 2018 annual Alliance member
conference will take place on Friday 1 June
2018 at the Hilton London Bankside in
Southwark, London SE1 0UG.
Confirmed speakers include Ofsted’s chief
inspector Amanda Spielman and political
aide and author Alastair Campbell.
The Alliance Outstanding Member Awards
will also be presented at the event, hosted by
writer and actor Ben Faulks, best known as
Mr Bloom on CBeebies.

DfE statistics reveal
inequalities at
reception level
Just over half of children eligible for free
school meals and less than a quarter
of children with special education
needs are achieving a “good level of
development” by the end of reception,
according to new statistics from the
Department for Education (DfE).
In October, the DfE released
statistics for results from the Early
Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile
in 2016-17, showing that 70.7% of
children in England achieve a “good
level of development” by the end of
reception – an increase of 1.4% since
last year.
However, new figures which
break down these results by ‘pupil
characteristics’ show the number of
children eligible for free school meals
reaching this level of development is
just 56%, compared to 73% of those
not eligible for free school meals.
The statistics also demonstrated
that just 23% of children with special
educational needs reach a “good level
of development” compared to 76%
of children with no identified special
educational needs.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the
Alliance, said: “Although we of course
recognise that children are individuals
who naturally learn and develop at
different rates, this persistent trend
of poorer children generally achieving
lower EYFS Profile results than
their wealthier peers is simply not
acceptable.”
‘Equally, these statistics should
serve as a sharp reminder to
government of the need to ensure
that children with special educational
needs receive the support they both
need and deserve in the early years.
Far too often, we hear of providers
struggling to deliver the level of care
and education that children with
SEN need dude to a lack of sufficient
funding, and it is not right that many of
these children continue to miss out on
vital quality early years experiences as
a result.”
Neil called on the government to
commit to adequate investment in the
sector to ensure that every child has
access to quality early years provision.

have you got all your
ducks in a row?

10%

Ma Ma Chong

DISC
AVAI OUNT
LAB
MEM LE TO
BERS

Chinese Mandarin Resources

✴ A fantastic new user-friendly Chinese Mandarin
learning resource for nurseries, pre-schools
and after school clubs.

✴ Colourful worksheets, interactive light

consoles, classroom games, pictorial flash
cards and songs, all designed to help children
learn in a fun and natural way.

✴ A complete and easily accessible learning

resource to enable you to provide this vibrant
modern language.

Free on-site training
www.mamachong.co.uk
info@mamachong.co.uk

if not then our focused
solutions are here to help
v Practitioners’ Resources v Training Toolkits
v Owners’ Manuals

v Unique Solutions

Achieving Excellence

10% EXCLUSIVE
DISCOUNT
www/foundationfocus.co.uk/PLAoffers

shop@foundationfocus.co.uk

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor
STAR LETTER
Tax-free childcare
Earlier this year we were asked to register our setting to
enable parents to take advantage of the new tax-free childcare
scheme. After several weeks of telephone calls and emails we
were eventually registered.
In the summer term we sent parents emails with the link to
the appropriate webpage and advised them that we had signed
up for the scheme and that they would be able to pay their fees
using this method.
Imagine my surprise when the new term began in September
and none of our families had opted to use this method to pay
their fees. Our manager attends network meetings with other
providers in the area and they have seen a similar response.
We already have several parents who use the Childcare
Vouchers scheme. All the admin associated with this scheme
is taken care of by their employers but it is usually only larger
companies that offer this service.
I do think that the option of tax-free childcare should be
available to all. But the government has put this scheme into
place when working families have busy lives juggling both
work and home. Tax-free childcare has just added another
time-consuming task for them, especially when parents have to
reconfirm their eligibility every three months.
Sheila Wallace, Appleton Thorn Pre-school
Tax-free childcare
An article recently appeared on the front page of the Sunday
Times (‘Rhymes and misdemeanours’, 5 November 2017) about
the apparent decline of nursery rhymes in the early years.
According to Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman,
‘old fashioned’ nursery rhymes are no longer being taught in
nurseries and pre-schools.
“It’s a great shame,” Spielman said. “I imagine most of
you could recite ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’, but we can’t
say that is the case for children today,” she told a childcare
conference the following week.
Well, I beg to differ. In the Bedfordshire and Luton Service
Hub and our member settings we know that children are well
versed in the fate of Humpty Dumpty and Little Miss Muffet.
They regularly recite and march to the tune of ‘The Grand Old
Duke of York’. The Alliance’s appreciation of traditional rhymes
is probably best demonstrated by the much loved 50 favourite
stories and rhymes released in 2013 as a celebration of its
50th anniversary.
Spielman said that children who can sing a song and know a
story off by heart aged four are better prepared for school. She
said that nursery rhymes provide a collective experience and
teach a bit of social history as well. We agree. Start reciting or
singing any rhyme in your setting, throw in a couple of musical
instruments and a choir and band are soon formed.
Helen Middleton, Bedfordshire and Luton Service Hub

8

|

UNDER 5

Inspection concerns
Having just read the ‘Rushing reports’ letter in your latest issue
(Under 5, November/December 2017) I felt compelled to write a
letter of my own. My setting has recently experienced an almost
identical inspection from Ofsted.
Similarly to the writer of the previous letter I felt we had reflected
on our previous inspection comments and evolved into an
‘outstanding’ setting. My team and I were thankful for the halfday notification we received so we could discuss and plan for the
following day and we were feeling confident. The majority of our
staff had been through an inspection before and I had reassured
them all to relax and just be themselves.
When our inspector arrived she asked us where I thought we
were in terms of grading. She knew that we had secured a good
grade with outstanding elements in 2014 and that our last selfevaluation form also rated us as ‘good’. I said that we felt that we
were better than good now and she asked by I hadn’t put that on
the self-evaluation form – I explained that I don’t like to boast and
said that she could be the judge.
We emerged with another ‘good’ grading. I have owned my
pre-school for nearly seven years under increasing cost pressures.
Despite cutbacks, including to training courses available through
the local authority, my staff and I have continued to work extremely
hard for all our children and families.
I could easily have thrown in the towel after this inspection.
Similarly to the previous letter-writer, the report I received was
certainly less detailed than earlier ones. I agree that hard three
years’ worth of hard work should not be summed up on one page.
We are continually full and have been for almost seven years. We
have watched so many of our fabulous children move on to school
and continue to thrive. So, having had time to reflect, I know that
we are outstanding.
Name supplied
Send your letters to Under 5 magazine, Pre-school Learning
Alliance, 50 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT or email:
editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk using the subject line ‘Letters’.

Stay in touch:
Share your views with us on social media:

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/PreSchoolLearning Alliance

Twitter: @under5mag

This month’s star letter prize wins
a set of books from the Alliance
shop. The collection includes:
•
Re-connecting with Nature,
which explores how children
can enjoy outdoor spaces in
today’s modern world;
• My Favourite Colour is Green,
which helps practitioners
bring environmental
awareness into their setting;
• and Healthy and Active
Lifestyles for the Early
Years, which explains how
practitioners can support
healthy and active lifestyles.
All three titles are available to buy
online at: shop.pre-school.org.uk

@gopakltd

www.gopak.co.uk

t: 0800 195 4255

e: gopakinfo@gopak.co.uk

50th anniversary

Hickling Pre-school in Leicestershire has celebrated its 50th
anniversary. The setting was opened by local resident Angela
Sweet in 1967 and still offers daily sessions from within the
village hall. The pre-school has helped many children prepare
for the transition to primary school over the years. Staff held
a traditional tea party to celebrate the occasion, welcoming
parents, children, staff and committee members to join them.

In remembrance

WUFA Pre-school in Woodstock
visited
nearby church St Mary Magdale
ne’s to
observe Armistice Day 2017. The
children
made their own floral wreath to
place on a
monument
at the church
and took an
autumnal
walk from the
setting into
the church.
The church’s
curate Alice
also treated
the children to
a story during
their visit.

Planting trees

ed
Nursery in Upper Tysoe have help
Children at Winchombe Farm Day
ity
by the Woodland Trust. The char
to plant 30 trees donated to them
hedge in
tually grow into an eight-metre
said that the saplings will even
the setting’s paddock.
dock
planted the trees along the pad
Manager Allie Aves said: “We’ve
and
s
dland, which will help hedgehog
fence to connect to existing woo
the
t
children enjoyed helping to plan
dormice stay on the move.” The
carefully as they start to grow.
new trees and are now watching

Playground revamp
Rainbow Children’s Nursery in Norfolk
has been given a £5,000 grant from Solar
Century’s community fund. The setting
has used the grant to fund a revamp of
its outdoor play area. The setting has
invested in several new pieces of play
equipment as well as some new markings
on the playground, which the children are
already enjoying.

10

|

UNDER 5

Christmas celebrations

Business awards

The Mon Ami Childr
en’s Nurseries group
is celebrating after
being named ‘Busin
ess of the Year’ at the
Bolton Business
Awards. The group’s
owner, Samantha Bri
tto
n, also won
‘Business Person of
the Year’ at the cerem
ony, organised by
local newspaper Bo
ston Standard.

chool in Longbridge,
Children from Jellybabies Nursery & Pre-s
tmas traditions
Chris
about
ng
Birmingham, have been learni
the festivities.
d
behin
story
the
celebrated in Bethlehem and
front of parents
in
play
tmas
The group also performed a Chris
the toy shop on
in
toys
of
story
and grandparents, following the
Jacqueline
tmas.
Chris
of
ing
Christmas Eve and the true mean
proud of
very
were
staff
the
said
g,
Walker, manager at the settin
all the children who joined in.

Rotherfield Village Pre-school
in East Sussex has paid a visit
to Rotherfield St Martin – a
local charity that supports older
residents in the area and helps
them to lead healthy and happy
lives with a variety of services.
The children attended the charity’s
Monday afternoon meeting and
enjoyed playing games and
completing jigsaws with members.
Liz Burnett, office manager at the
setting, said: “The afternoon was a
huge success and will be repeated
– one of the club members said
our visit had really brightened up
their afternoon.”

What’s been
happening in
your setting?
Under 5 wants to know! To share
your own stories, please email
editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk
with the subject line ‘My Under 5’.

UNDER 5

|

11

GDPR:

what you
need to know

Paul Donaldson, director of human resources at the Alliance, explains how
changing data protection rules will impact your business this year

12

|

UNDER 5

BEST PRACTICE

T

he General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) is a new EU law that will come
into effect on 25 May 2018. It will replace
the current Data Protection Act 1998 and the
changes will remain in place even after the UK
leaves the EU in 2019.
GDPR will give individuals greater control
over their own personal data. Your setting may
already have a data protection policy in place but
GDPR will introduce some significant changes to
the current rules. You need to be aware of these
now and should try to identify any gaps in your
compliance with the new rules .
With less than six months to go, settings
should be looking at making changes ready
to be compliant in May. However, GDPR is an
evolutionary, not revolutionary, change so there is
no need to panic – but you do need to prepare.

Principles
GDPR will condense the Data Protection
Principles into six areas, which are referred to as
the Privacy Principles. They are:
1. You must have a lawful reason for collecting
personal data and must do it in a fair and
transparent way.
2. You must only use the data for the reason it is
initially obtained.
3. You must not collect any more data than is
necessary.
4. It has to be accurate and there must be
mechanisms in place to keep it up to date.
5. You cannot keep it any longer than needed.
6. You must protect the personal data.
These privacy principles are supported by a
further principle – accountability. This means
that your setting must not only do the right thing
with data but must also show that all the correct
measures are in place to demonstrate how
compliance is achieved.
Your setting must be able to demonstrate
that written policies and procedures are in
place and that they are being followed. There
is also an expectation that staff will be trained
on data protection. Documentation on policies,
procedures and training is going to be a key part
of any effective compliance programme.

Data protection officer
GDPR will mean that some organisations need
to appoint a data protection officer. For most
settings, an individual who takes the lead on your
compliance programme will be sufficient. Some
chains, which handle larger amounts of data,
may need to appoint an officer. Data protection

officers have mandatory requirements so if you
do not need to appoint one you might decide that
it would be better to give the appointed member
of staff a different title instead.

Privacy notices
When you collect any data you must tell people
exactly how you are going to use it, who you
might share it with, how long you will keep it and
any international transfers that might occur. You
must also inform people that they have the right
to withdraw their consent for you to have the data
at any time and that they have the right to lodge
a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s
Office. This is much more than the existing
requirement and should be communicated to
families in plain and clear English.

Individual rights
Under GDPR people will have new and enhanced
rights. Your organisation must ensure that it has
mechanisms to allow individuals to exercise
these rights. These include:
telling people what data you will collect and
what you will do with it
allowing them to see it after you have
collected it
making any changes if it is incorrect
removing it if you have no legal right to hold it
not processing it if they don’t want to you
informing other data processors if someone
asks you not to use their data
letting people take their data away
taking account of objections to what you hold
and do with their data
allowing people to ask you not to make any
automated decisions about their data

Consent
GDPR will require early years providers to have
a legitimate reason for processing any personal
data. Where you rely on consent for processing
data, you must be able to demonstrate that the
consent was freely given, specific, informed
and unambiguous for each purpose for which
the data is being processed. Silence, pre-ticked
boxes or inactivity will no longer suffice – people
will have to actively opt-in.
If your existing consent standard does not
comply with the requirements under GDPR, you
will need to contact data subjects to update
their consent.

Data processing
GDPR sets out the lawful basis for processing
personal data. This means that personal data
can only be processed if one or more of the

lawful conditions are met. For example, using
the information to comply with a legal obligation
or using it after the data subject has given their
consent would meet the requirements. Other
examples include where the data subject has
given their consent or if the information is needed
to protect the vital interests of the data subject.
Processing the data might also be necessary
for the performance of a task carried out in the
public interest.

Data agreements
GDPR will place an obligation on early years
providers to ensure that any arrangements they
make with data processors are governed by
written agreements. Early years providers must
only use processors offering sufficient guarantees
that processing will meet GDPR requirements.
You are also expected to re-negotiate any
pre-existing agreements to ensure that they meet
the GDPR standard if they are due to continue
beyond 25 May 2018.

New projects
GDPR places a requirement on early years
providers to ensure that data protection is
incorporated into the development phase of
new projects and services, rather than it being
an afterthought. In certain circumstances, risk
assessments must also be undertaken to ensure
that appropriate measures are in place to keep
personal data secure.

Breach notification
GDPR introduces an obligation to notify the ICO
of a data breach within 72 hours of becoming
aware of the breach. If it’s a high risk to the
individual, for example, if the type of data
compromised could lead to identity theft and
fraud, then you would also have to notify the
individuals concerned.

Fines
One of the key drivers for compliance will be that
organisations can be fined up to €20 million or
4% of their annual global takeover – whichever
is bigger. However, it is important to focus on the
benefits of the fact that you are ensuring that you
are handling people’s data appropriately.

More information
The Alliance will be running a series
of member webinars covering different aspects
of GDPR between now and May 2018.
Find out about the upcoming Alliance
webinars at: www.pre-school.org.uk/
webinars

UNDER 5

|

13

BEST PRACTICE

Hiring the best
Michelle Brown, HR business partner at the Alliance, shares top tips for recruiting
staff at your setting

I

t can be difficult at times to know
the best way to advertise vacancies
at your setting. Particularly in a time
with so many different places available
- online job boards, social media, local
newspapers, and so on. The most
important thing is to ensure that your
target audience sees the vacancy. But you
may also be looking to keep costs down
and make sure that you attract the right
candidates for your setting.
Here are some tips you can use to
ensure that you find the right people the
next time you have a vacancy, while also
balancing costs:
Job boards – You can list all your
vacancies and accept job applications
and CVs directly through multinational
and national job boards. There is now a
wide variety of job boards to choose from
- including Indeed and Monster as well as
specialist early years sites. Think about
local and national job boards that would
be appropriate for an early years vacancy.

Local colleges and universities – Some
colleges and universities offer local
employers a chance to advertise their
vacancies on notice boards or websites.
There may be an opportunity for local
employers to contact students. You could
do a presentation for current students,
highlighting the benefits of working in the
early years sector and mention your own
setting. This is a good way of building
links with local students who are studying
childcare and looking for a potential
future employer.
Open days – Host a recruitment open
day at your setting. This is a good way to
encourage applicants to visit your setting.
They will see the work environment,
watch staff interacting with children and
have a chance to ask any questions they
have about the vacancy or your setting.
This offers a chance to market your
setting to potential new recruits.

Facebook – If you have a Facebook Page
or Group for your setting, think about
using the site to advertise any vacancies
you have available. Facebook also offers a
chance to create a dialogue with potential
candidates, so make sure you are ready
to answer any questions they have about
your setting or the vacancy.

Local newspapers – Think about the
different ways that people in your area
look for jobs. There is often a particular
newspaper that local people will use for
jobs. Think also about the role you are
recruiting for and whether or not a local
newspaper is the best place to advertise
it. For example, you may wish to advertise
for a cleaner or chef in a different place
than you would a practitioner.

Local authority websites – Your local
authority may allow your setting to
advertise a vacancy on its jobs board.
There may be a small fee for this service,
so always have a quick check beforehand
to make sure you can see similar types of
roles advertised on there first.

Universal jobmatch – This service is
offered through a government gateway,
a secure online account that allows
you to access government services. It
is designed to help employers find and
employ the most suitable jobseekers. The
service is free to use, you just need to

14

|

UNDER 5

set up an account online for your setting
at http://bit.ly/22crAdj You may already
have an account if you have previously
dealt with the Department for Work and
Pensions as an employer.
Community centre – If your setting is
based in a close community, you may
wish to advertise job vacancies on a
community centre notice board, if the
service is available. The advantage of this
is that you will receive applications from
local people who should be able to travel
to your setting easily.
Local noticeboards – Your local shop
may have a section that allows local
businesses to advertise vacancies in the
shop windows. This is also a positive way
to encourage local interest in your setting.

Recruiting Early Years Staff
Member price £10.95
Standard price £13.95
This Alliance publication is
designed to make the task
of selecting high quality
staff straightforward and
efficient for trustees,
directors, owners
and managers. The
book also offers
detailed information
on induction and
probation procedures
to help successful candidates
make a positive contribution. Sample
documents including job descriptions,
application forms, contracts and standard
letters are also included.

MEMBERS’ AREA

How can we help?
A guide to the new look members’
area available for members on the
Alliance website
One of best benefits of Alliance membership is the opportunity
to access hundreds of resources full of practical and up-to-date
advice for early years practitioners.
The Alliance’s Information Service and Quality Improvement teams
are constantly monitoring important topics within the early years.
Using their wealth of expert knowledge and experience, they provide
the clear and concise information you will need to tackle day-to-day
tasks with the children and families in your care.
The team has recently added a series of new mini-guides to the
members’ area, ready for you to use. These guides and factsheets
cover a diverse range of subjects to reflect the unique nature of the
early years and have been made available in the exclusive members’
area of the Alliance website.
The members’ area has also recently been redesigned to make it
quicker and easier for you to find the resources you need. To try out
the new-look members’ area for yourself, visit:
www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area

leading your team. Great for those in leadership positions of all kinds or
for those who aspire to be the managers of the future.

Near you
From attendance at sector shows and exhibitions, to hosting local
events to bring the early years community in your area together, we are
always eager to meet with our members. In this section you will find out
what is happening near you and how we can support you at a local level.

Frequently asked questions
If you have a question about your membership or anything else to do
with the early years then visit the members’ area FAQs. We frequently
update this page to reflect feedback from members so we hope that
even if you can’t find the exact answer you are looking for we will be able
to direct you towards the right people to ask.

Benefits
Remember, your Alliance membership opens up access to all kinds
of benefits. Make sure you aren’t missing out on any of the perks and
stop by the benefits page regularly to see how you can get something
a little extra as a member.

Member exclusives
The members’ area offers free resources including:

Early Years Foundation Stage
Specifically developed guidance and advice on the key areas of the
EYFS can be accessed in the members’ area. There are around 30
different guides available on this subject, split into three subject areas.

The members’ area is also where you will be able to find the latest
exclusive member-only content. We regularly host specialist webinars
for members and publish brand new guides first in the members’
area so remember to keep an eye out for these.

Tell us what you think

Good governance and the right structure is an essential part of any
childcare provision. This section of the members’ area provides
guidance for both charitable and privately run providers. The section
contains 10 guides and structure charts to help you set up or review
your governance.

Our members’ area is designed for you. We’d love to hear what you think
of the new section, what additional content you’d like to see and any
other suggestions for how we can keep making it better for you.
To share your thoughts on the new members’ area, visit www.
pre-school.org.uk/members-area and log in, take a look around
and send any comments or feedback you have with us at feedback@
pre-school.org.uk

Business management

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: 10% off your next order in January

Whether you are a charitable organisation or a private provider, the best
way to ensure you keep making a difference to the lives of children and
families is to run a well-managed business. The guides and information
in our business management section cover everything from social
media marketing to developing your cash reserves, recruiting staff and

This month, we’re giving you an extra reason to visit the members’
area. We’ll give you 10% off your next order from the Alliance shop if
you visit in January. Go online now to access your promotional code.

Governance

www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area

UNDER 5

|

15

ADVERTORIAL

Making music together
Anna Ryder explains how you can bring music into your setting – even if you think you can’t!

M

any childcare professionals
question whether they can ever be
as effective as a trained musician
when running music sessions, and the answer
is – yes! You can and you will be. Effectiveness
in music-making is not measured by how
musical you are, or whether you can play an
instrument. What really matters is having the
right approach.

and play them all, one at a time. Others got
interested and then everyone wanted to have
a try. There weren’t enough drumsticks to
go around, but we rearranged the drums and
found some wooden spoons to hit the drums
with. This developed into a musical game,
where everyone got to play, going up and down
the line of drums and hitting each one as they
walked past.

Give it time

Limited budgets

You can’t run an effective music session in
20 minutes. If you think you already are, they
you might just be singing some known songs
together. Try extending your session to an hour.

Your budget is less important than your
approach. Let’s look at what you really
need…

Encourage exploration
Allow everyone to explore and try out what
they want. Things will noisy but you can always
start again or take away a particularly noisy
instrument! These are new objects for many
children and they are still finding out how to use
them. You can’t possibly expect tem to make
music on them straight away, without exploring
and experimenting first.

Listen
Listen to the children and what they are doing
and support them. Don’t try to make them
do what you want to do. If someone is doing
something interesting, try to respond. For
example, a three-year-old I was working with
once wanted to place all the drums around her

16

|

UNDER 5

Instruments – you really don’t need fancy
or expensive instruments. You just need
some things to make sounds with and you
can make your own shakers and simple
drums from recycled materials. Making
your own instruments is great fun and
an education in its own right. Or you can
buy your own for a few pounds each if
you shop around – but do try to buy real
instruments, not plastic ones! If and when
you have the budget do buy good quality,
age-appropriate instruments, and as many
as possible!
Support – you will almost certainly need
advice and support, so it can be very helpful
to have an experienced expert on call, to
answer questions and give you a sounding
board. Some instrument suppliers now
provide this as a free service.

Training – you certainly don’t need
loads of training, though you may find
and introductory workshop helpful as a
confidence-booster and a way to get quickly
immersed in the nitty-gritty of music making.
Settings with budgets may also wish the
invite a musician in to demonstrate music
making with the children. This can be really
useful for children and practitioners.
Session ideas and knowledge – you’ll
probably find that your sessions take on a
life of their own if you follow the ‘exploration’
approach, but it’s also useful to have a little
store of musical ideas in reserve. You can
find these easily online.
I put a big emphasis on practitioners learning
together with children but it really is a very
effective approach. I think it’s true of all early
years learning – most practitioners do the
activity with the children, don’t they? With
music it works particularly well precisely
because many practitioners don’t think of
themselves as ‘musical’.
This can be a real advantage as it puts
children and practitioners on the same level.
The practitioner will therefore genuinely be
discovering things, which they would want to
share with the children, and the children will
be sharing discoveries with the practitioner.
This kind of learning is instantaneous and
gets deeply embedded in both children and
practitioner because it can be a first for both.

annA rydeR is a music educator, singer/songwriter, performer
and musical advisor to Sound Children.For more information,
visit annaryder.co.uk or soundchildren.co.uk

EY Music

Have fun developing life skills

• COGNITIVE • PHYSICAL • SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL

Eleven
Early Years
Awards

No muSic ExpEriENcE NEEdEd

Suitable
for SEN

our award-winning resources come with expert teaching support, enabling
ANY practitioner to deliver focused and eﬀective music sessions for 0 - 5 years

£147

Dream Drum Kit

Best
Seller

FROM

£29

NEW

Teaching support
included
FR
EE

Lightweight Bamboo Djembes

See the full range of award-winning EY music resources at www.soundchildren.com

Exploring
Under 5 asks Forest School Learning Initiative founder
Christina Dee how settings can make the most of the
outdoors, even with limited space

Pictures by David Simpson

L

earning outdoors is a great
experience for all children – and
not one that should be restricted to
those attending rural settings. Thankfully,
the concept of outdoor learning is proving
popular across the board and even those
providers with limited outdoor space are
enjoying forest school activities.
Christina Dee, founder at the Forest School
Learning Initiative, says that 65% of the
practitioners and managers they work with
do not have direct access to a forest space.
Instead, most settings learn to work with the
environment around them – however limited it
might seem on first glance.

Choose your space
Christina says that the most important thing
is that any outdoor space used must be
sustainable and accessible for children. If
you want to enjoy forest school activities
regularly, you need to be able to reach
the space easily. A bus ride, for example,
might make the journey too long for regular
visits – although some city-based settings
might find bus journeys easier than others,

18

|

UNDER 5

depending on your local transport links.
Crucially, it needs to work for you as
Christina says that children really need to
enjoy forest school activities every week in
order to see the benefits of them.
It takes a surprisingly small amount of
space to start enjoying outdoor activities.
“Even just two or three trees seems
enormous when you are three- or fouryears-old,” Christina says, adding: “The
exact amount of space you need will really
depend on how many children you have at
your setting.” Some settings make use of a
local park or nearby allotments and some
London-based locations have teamed up
with community farms based within the city.
If needed, you could plant your own trees
within your outdoor space.

Collecting equipment
Once you’ve got your space sorted, the
next key consideration is your equipment.
“Clothing is very important so collect some
cheap items to keep as spares – gloves and
hats, waterproofs and wellies,” Christina
suggests. Other than clothing, much of

the equipment you will need can be found
in nature – leaves, sticks and places for
children to dig. Christina suggests collecting
some of these things up elsewhere and
bringing them in if you don’t have many
readily available in your own outdoor space.
You might only need to make one or two
trips to the woods each year to secure a
steady supply of sticks.
The natural resources you do have
will help shape your sessions. Christina
suggests mud painting, mud modelling and
stick collection or even leaf snap – where
children match up leaves instead of cards.
If you have the budget to purchase some
insect pots, you could also start looking
for mini-beasts in your outdoor space. Any
empty, unused containers can also be used
to help children collect items outdoors such
as pebbles, pine cones or conkers.

Outdoor activities
One thing Christina does warn against is
relying too heavily on your usual activities
when exploring outdoors. “Don’t use pencils
and paper unless you really think it’s going

BEST PRACTICE

g nature
to help a child’s learning – it’s too much of
a reinforcement of the indoor environment,”
she suggests.
Whatever you want to do, remember to let
the children take the lead. Christina explains:
“The forest school ethos is based around
child-led learning. You should give them a
range of resources and allow them to make
their own choices and decisions about what
they want to do.” Christina says this will help
the children learn to be more independent
and naturally more motivated.

Managing risks
As ever, it’s also important to minimise
any risk associated with your outdoor
activities. However, Christina warns that
you don’t want to remove too many of the
risks associated with outdoor sessions.
She says: “It’s about empowering children
to manage risks themselves – look out for
the things they consider to be dangerous
and how they keep themselves safe.”
For example, Christina says one group
she works with located a large hole in the
ground – which had already been spotted

on an earlier risk assessment by the
forest-school leader. The children were
asked how they could minimise the risk of
someone tripping or falling. They decided
to put a marker next to the hole to warn
anyone walking past and moved their
activity away from the area. “If you involve
the children in minimising risks, they
can own it and enjoy the responsibility,”
Christina explains.

Reaping the rewards
The added risks and unpredictability of
forest school sessions can be off-putting
for some staff. “Some staff are quite
nervous of working outdoors,” Christina
says. But she usually finds that after a
few sessions, most find that they begin to
relax and enjoy the forest school sessions.
“Many people tell us that forest school
has helped change the way they practice,
giving them fresh enthusiasm for helping
children learn,” she adds.
Some practitioners report other
unexpected benefits from adding a regular
outdoor session to their schedule. “Children

tend to become really quite calm and stop
running around quite as much,” Christina
says. “You might also notice that some
children find it easier to concentrate or
that different social groups form in these
sessions.” Outdoor sessions are usually
very popular with children too. “Attendance
is often highest on the days that a setting
chooses to do forest school,” she adds.
In an increasingly technology-focused
world, forest school offers many children
a welcome break from gadgets, and so
taking your setting outside for a session can
help give children a valuable opportunity to
connect with nature. “Many children live a
life by screen,” Christina says. “I think forest
school offers children the best opportunity
for children’s learning – they are learning
and they don’t even realise it.”
The Forest School Learning Initiative
offers training that can be applied to all
age groups and link to the Early Years
Foundation Stage. To find out more, visit
www.forestschoollearning.co.uk or email
office@fsli.co.uk

UNDER 5

|

19

The big
birdwatch
The RSPB is inviting early years settings to join its Big Schools’
Birdwatch – here’s how you can get involved

B

irdwatching is one of the easiest
ways to explore nature with
children in your setting. You
don’t need any special equipment and
just a small amount of outdoor space. The
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’
(RSPB’s) Big Schools’ Birdwatch is taking
place this term and is open to all early
years settings.
The national birdwatch has been
held every year since 2002 and offers
participants free resources including
activity ideas and downloadable stories

20

|

UNDER 5

in return for taking part. This year the
RSPB has introduced activities specifically
designed for early years practitioners.
The wildlife charity has also teamed up
with CBeebies’ Twirlywoos to encourage
younger children to join in with the event.
The birdwatch is taking place from 2 January
to 23 February and is set to be the biggest ever
wildlife survey in education settings. Anyone
can join in: pre-schools, nurseries, childminders
and playgroups, as well as schools. In 2017,
73,000 children helped the RSPB count more
than 100,000 birds.

The RSPB is asking children to spend one
hour watching and recording any birds that
visit their outdoor space. Settings are asked to
share their results with the RSPB so they can
be analysed. This offers the charity an insight
into which species are the most common and
how the numbers are changing.

Early learning
Not only does the birdwatch help with the
RSPB’s conservation work, but it also provides
a fun activity for children. Birdwatching helps
bring children closer to nature and could inspire

BIRDWATCHING

How to make pastry maggots
an interest in wildlife. You can use the birdwatch
as a platform for other related activities, exploring
any interests children show in response.
Nicky Thomas, early years project officer at
the RSPB, explains: “The Big Schools Birdwatch
works well for the free-flow structure of early years
settings making it easy for all children to access
and participate during the hour and beyond.”
The RSPB has worked to ensure that the plan
works with Development Matters in the Early
Years Foundation Stage to help support children’s
‘understanding the world’ journey. Nicky says:
“They will be able to comment and ask questions
about their familiar world, recognise similarities,
differences, patterns and change in what they
see and experience as well as showing care and
concern for living things and the environment.”
Every setting that takes part will receive a
personalised certificate, a wildlife poster and
Twirlywoos stickers to share. Every early years
setting that joins in will also be entered into a prize
draw to win a visit from the Twirlywoos.
Providers can also download the “Lucky Duck”
story from the RSPB website, which helps explain
some of the differences between common birds.
Nicky explains: “This story has been written to
inspire children’s thinking and to provide a childcentred starting point that we hope will start a
journey of engagement.”
By learning about birds, children will develop
new skills – making links between their own needs
and those of the birds that visit their outdoor
space. Nicky says: “They will be finding out and
exploring what is already welcoming birds to the
setting and feel proud as they achieve what they
set out to do by counting and identifying some
familiar birds.” These skills will also help children
make transferable experiences at home and other
familiar places, wherever they see wild birds.
Adding extra activities will expand the learning
opportunities. “Making these crumbly pastry
maggots to feed the birds with is a great finger
gym and fine motor skills activity,” Nicky suggests.

How to join in
The birdwatch should last for just one hour – you
can pick any time of the day that suits. It could be
offered as part of a wider project, or just as a oneoff. It could even take place over an outdoor lunch
break. The only restriction is that it must take place
in the first half of this spring term.
Register to take part online at www.rspb.org.
uk/schoolswatch
You’ll find everything you need to take part
including more suggested activites.

Ingredients: 86g flour, 30g lard
Method:
1. Put the flour in a bowl
2. Mix in the lard with the tips of your fingers
3. Rub the dry mixture into little pieces that look like maggots
4. Sprinkle these onto the ground, on your birdtable or around bushes and flowerbeds

Paper plate birds
Equipment: paper plates, paint, paintbrushes, googly eyes, glue, pipe cleaners, pieces of card, paper
Method:
1. Fold the plate in half and unfold it
2. Paint the base colour – for example black for a blackbird or orange for a robin.
3. Fold the plate again so it can stand up.
4. Use the eyes, paper, pipecleaners and card to add a beak, wings and a tail

1

Common birds in the UK

2

Last year, the most commonly-seen bird was the
blackbird, with 88% of settings reporting seeing them.
1. Blackbird – Black feathers with bright orangeyellow beaks and eye-rings.
2. Starling – Look black from a distance but
purples and greens can be seen up close.
They tend to be smaller than blackbirds

3

3. Woodpigeon – Grey with a white patch on
its neck.

4

4.
Carrion crow – All black, including the beak and
feet. These are usually seen alone or in pairs.
5. B
lack headed gull – All white, or white with a
chocolate-brown head.

6

6. H
ouse sparrow – Speckled with blacks and
browns, but the males will also have a strip of
blue on their heads.
7. M
agpie – Distinctive black and white bird with a
long tail – up close you might notice purple-blue
hues on its feathers.

5
7

8.
Robin – Golden brown with a bright red vest.
These are found all year round – not just
at Christmas.

8

9. B
lue tit – Blue, yellow and white bird that
often travels in groups. Younger birds will
have yellow instead of white cheeks.
10. Jack Daw – A small black crow with pale eyes
and a slightly silver patch behind its head.

9

Get in touch
Did your setting take part in this year’s Big
Schools’ Birdwatch? We’d love to hear about
it – please send your stories and pictures for
My Under 5 at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk

1

10
UNDER 5

|

21

alle
How to be

aware
A

s children grow older, they start
to spend more time at early years
settings and begin attending more
group activities. For those with known
allergies, this starts a new phase in which
their condition is no longer solely managed
by their parents or guardians.
Practitioners working in early years settings
have a duty of care and must provide a safe
and healthy environment for all the children in
their care. When addressing allergies as part
of this, practitioners must consider the unique
environment of the early years setting.
‘Allergy’ is an umbrella term that includes
not only food allergies, but also conditions
including asthma, eczema, hay fever, drugs
(such as penicillin) and venom (such as bee
or wasp) allergy. Allergic conditions tend to
develop in the under-five age group, so many
children in your setting may have one or more
allergic conditions.

22

|

UNDER 5

Holly Shaw, nurse advisor
for Allergy UK, explains
how early years settings
can deal with allergies
and prevent accidental
exposure

Getting started

Allergen-free environments

1. Introduce a policy – An allergy and
anaphylaxis policy will help to safeguard
those with allergies by giving you and your
staff practical strategies to follow. It will also
reassure parents that you understand the
seriousness of allergic disease. You should
remember to regularly review and update the
policy when needed.

It is commonly thought that banning a food
completely because of an allergy is the
most practical solution and that avoidance
is the main stay of allergy treatment.
However, while the most common allergies
in childhood include cow’s milk, egg and
peanut, it is possible for children to be allergic
to many other things. This makes creating
a completely allergen-free environment
unrealistic. Allergen-free environments
can also create a false sense of security –
particularly for young children who haven’t
learned how to keep themselves safe
yet. Instead, you should focus on ‘allergy
awareness’ within your setting and aim for an
inclusive approach.

2. Reduce the risk – Identify any situations
in which a child may be accidentally exposed
to an allergen and put practical measures in
place to reduce the risk.
3. Undertake training – Being able to
reassure parents/guardians that staff have
relevant training will help put their mind at
ease. It will also help you feel more confident
about treating allergic reactions should they
occur in your setting.

Communication
Parents and guardians will naturally feel
anxious about handling over responsibilities

BEST PRACTICE

ergy
so developing a partnership between parents/
guardians and caregivers is vital. Early
communication enables open conversations
about the child’s allergy needs and if they
can be met. Staff will also need to share
information and may have questions they
wish to raise. The child’s needs, health
and wellbeing should be at the centre of all
communication.
Providing a safe and supportive
environment for children with allergic
conditions in early years settings is really
important. Children with allergies can
sometimes be excluded from certain activities,
which can leave them feeling isolated. With
practical allergen management in place, and a
good awareness and understanding of allergy,
even a child with the most severe allergies can
still feel included in all activities.

A key consideration of allergy management
is recognising signs and symptoms and
knowing how to treat an allergic reaction.
This can be addressed by ensuring that you
and your staff are trained in first aid, including
allergy and anaphylaxis, using an accredited
trainer. First aid training should be undertaken
regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates
on best practice.
Make sure you are familiar with each child’s
individual health plan (IHP) and/or their allergy
action plan – this is a written document
detailing any known allergies, symptoms
of allergic reactions and clear instructions
on what action to take. Designated staff
should know where copies of the plan are
kept, as well as the child’s medication,s and
understand how to use them.

Meal and snack times
Flexible approach
Consider adapting your allergy management
policies to meet the specific needs of the
children currently at your setting, taking into
account the size of your setting and available
resources. Let parents/guardians know about
the procedures that have been introduced
and what it means for them. For example, this
could mean asking their child not to share
food and promoting hand washing after eating
to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Children with food allergies should only
eat foods provided by their parents, or that
have been specifically prepared with their
dietary needs in mind.
Children with food allergies should not
be allowed to trade or swap food so
close supervision of younger children at
mealtimes is particularly important.
All children should wash their hands
before and after eating to prevent crosscontamination. This should also apply to

any activities involving food handling – such
as cooking or messy play.

Treats
Consider using non-food items as rewards
– such as stickers. If food rewards must be
given, offer parents a chance to provide
safe snacks.
To avoid isolation, provide safe treats for
children who cannot eat food brought in by
others to share as part of birthday or other
celebrations.

Arts and crafts
Organise your classrooms, play
environments, dining rooms and
playgrounds to avoid cross contamination
and prevent allergic reactions.
Additional care should be taken with
materials such as play dough, which often
contains wheat and recycled items such as
egg boxes.
Craft supplies such as paints can be
tricky as they sometimes contain food
allergens such as egg, peanut, tree nut
or milk. Make sure you check the labels
and if you think there could be a risk of
cross-contamination, try to find a suitable
alternative.

More information
For more information, including educational
materials, training devices and advice, contact
Allergy UK at www.allergyuk.org or call their
helpline on 01322 619898.
UNDER 5

|

23

Setting the scene for

2018
Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance,
shares some ideas for mixing up your events calendar

A

s we welcome 2018, early years
practitioners pin new calendars
on office walls, make notes
in satisfyingly clear diaries and start to
plot key events as part of their long-term
planning for sessions.
This year is likely to consist of the usual
fixed dates for the annual cycle of events
– including transitions and seasons. Staff
rotas, shift patterns and holidays must
also be carefully recorded. Then there are
other regular events to consider – such as
planned outings, photo days, fund raising
and events in your local community.
The months ahead are full of
possibilities and opportunities for
cohesion as routines are established.
This in turn brings a sense of security and
belonging for children that are essential
to their personal, social and emotional
development.

24

|

UNDER 5

It is within this supportive framework
that practitioners nurture all areas of
learning and development. Children
learn about each other, their community
and establish friendships. They explore
their immediate environment and are
encouraged to be curious and interested in
the world around them.

Celebrating diversity
In order to further develop children’s
knowledge and understanding of the
world it is important that they are also
able to celebrate and explore diversity.
Practitioners can teach children to
respect and value others regardless
of their skin colour, their physical
capabilities or the language they speak.
Opportunities to learn about each other
should be incorporated into appropriate,
realistic experiences that build on

children’s personal interests and their
innate curiosity.
Nicola Gibson, inclusion manager at
the Alliance, says: “Children learn positive
attitudes and behaviours towards those
with different identifies to their own. By
providing children with naturally occurring
day-to-day experiences of diversity rather
than just periodic events, children will
learn to embrace and not fear difference.”
In an increasingly diverse society,
many early years settings will benefit
from the cultures and traditions of the
children who attend. Children will enjoy
learning about their friends’ home lives
using resources that are likely to be
available in the community. However, not
all communities are diverse – so some
thought and planning might be needed to
ensure that you are broadening children’s
experiences in a meaningful way.

ACTIVITY CORNER

Immersive approach
There can be a temptation to plot a few key
festivals and celebrations into the calendar
as single-day events, even though the
occasion itself might usually be celebrated
over several days with weeks of build up –
much like Christmas. Practitioners should
do their research and consider what they
want children to gain from each experience.
You should give equal prominence to each
festival and celebration you decide to take
part in. Allow children to fully immerse
themselves in each experience so that the
characteristics of effective learning are
enabled as their curiosity is ignited.
It is a good idea to start with a list of
significant dates that reflect the diversity of
the children and families who are attending
the setting and build up from there. The
emphasis should be on the cultural aspect
of the celebration, rather than any religious
significance. It is not appropriate for early
years settings to teach religion to very young
children, but they should raise awareness
that people can have different beliefs.
Practitioners should focus on the wider
learning opportunities in the activities they
offer rather than any tokenistic one-off
events – these might look good on planning
sheets but they will have little impact on

children’s knowledge and understanding.
Most festivals and celebrations will
encompass some or all of the following
that cover many areas of the Early Years
Foundation Stage:
Decorations – These could be lanterns,
wall hangings, patterns and greetings
cards. The emphasis is often on lights,
vibrant colours and symbols that are
easily recognisable as belonging to a
distinct culture.
Music – Different musical instruments,
songs, nursery rhymes and verse can
soon become regular favourites during
circle time activities. Tell stories in their
first language, as well as English, to help
children recognise some key words.

world. There are many beautiful, unusual
costumes and headdresses worn for
special events
Gifts – The tradition of exchanging gifts
during festivals or celebrations can
teach children about the gift of caring
and sharing. Not all gifts have to have
a monetary value. Children can be
encouraged to think about the many
ways they can give to others by being a
good friend.
Art – There are endless opportunities
for creativity as children replicate
designs such as Hindu Rangoli patterns,
Indonesian Batik or Aboriginal art that
uses only the colours found in nature to
tell stories with painted dots, patterns
and symbols.

Dance – Along with the music comes
an opportunity to move. Watch DVDs
or invite a guest, perhaps a family
member or parent, to teach the children
a traditional dance.
Food – There are endless opportunities
to make and bake traditional festival
food. Search online for healthy recipes
enjoyed by different cultures or ask
families to suggest popular dishes.
Traditional dress – Clothing is important
for people and cultures all over the

When we see examples of how divisions
in communities can cause feelings of
resentment or isolation, what better time
to remind ourselves that the children
we are working with now will shape the
world that we live in tomorrow. If they
learn acceptance and tolerance through
understanding difference in their early
years, they will have the skills needed to
flourish in a global society where prejudice
and racism are never accepted.

UNDER 5

|

25

LAW-CALL

Managing
maternity
leave
The legal team behind the
Law-Call service, available
to Alliance members,
explains how to effectively
manage maternity leave
at your setting

When one of your employees is expecting a new
baby, it can be an exciting time for them and their
family. Being prepared with your own maternity
policy can help you and your colleagues enjoy their
news – and even help you retain staff in the longterm if your employees feel happy and welcome to
return after the birth.
Employees can choose take up to a full year of
maternity leave, and must take two weeks after
giving birth as a minimum. Employees must have
been working at a setting for at least 26 weeks
before the 25th week of their pregnancy and be
earning at least £107 a week. The earliest date
that maternity leave can start is 11 weeks before
the baby’s due date, unless the baby is born early.
In these cases, leave will start automatically on
the day of the birth. If an employee works right
up to their due date and becomes unable to work
due to a pregnancy-related illness in the four
weeks prior to this date, their leave will also be
automatically triggered.
Unless it is not reasonably practical to do so,
your employee must tell you when their baby is due
and when they want to start maternity leave at least
15 weeks before their expected due date. You then
have 28 days to confirm in writing their start and
end dates for maternity leave.
As an employer, you should assume that the
employee will take their full entitlement of 52
weeks unless they notify you otherwise. However,
employees can change their return to work
date if they wish – but they must give you eight
weeks’ notice. You cannot refuse maternity leave
or change the amount of leave your employee
chooses to take.

you can’t afford to make statutory payments, you
can apply for HMRC to pay you in advance.
Pregnant employees are also entitled to
reasonable paid time off for antenatal care,
including any travel time needed. Fathers
and partners of pregnant women are entitled
to unpaid time off to attend two antenatal
appointments capped at six and a half hours for
each appointment.

Holidays
Your employee will continue to accrue their full
holiday entitlement during the period that they
are on maternity leave and will be able to take this
holiday during the period that they are on maternity
leave and will be able to take this holiday during
the period they are still at work or when they return
from maternity leave. They cannot, however, take
annual leave and maternity leave at the same time.

Keeping in touch
Employees can take up to 10 days during their
maternity leave known as ‘keeping in touch
days’. These are optional and both the employee
and employer need to agree on the type of work
they will be doing and their rate of pay before the
employee comes into work.

Shared parental leave

Shared parental leave and statutory shared
parental pay are also available for the mother,
father or the mother’s spouse or partner, including
civil partners and same sex partners. This can be
taken in three blocks, rather than all in one go, but
it must be taken between the baby’s birth and first
birthday (or within one year of adoption).
Maternity pay
Shared parental leave cannot be taken before
Eligible employees will be entitled to be paid
the mother has given birth or the adoption has
statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks of their
taken place. Any leave taken before the birth
maternity leave at 90% of their average weekly
should still be taken as maternity leave, after which
earnings before tax for the first six weeks. After
they can opt to cancel the maternity leave and start
that, they will be paid 90% of their average weekly shared parental leave. The remainder of the 52
earnings or £140.98 per week – whichever is lower weeks leave can be shared between the parents as
– for 33 weeks. If the employee wishes to take the
they choose.
full 52 weeks, the last 13 weeks would be unpaid.
Each individual pregnancy or adoption comes
If an employee is not entitled to statutory
with its own variables and unique circumstances.
maternity pay, they may be able to get Maternity
Please feel free to contact Law-Call for further
Allowance instead using a SMP1 form. The
advice and support if you need to discuss
government offers a handy calculator online to help anything further.
you work it out (available at bit.ly/2B5t67Z).
More information
You can ask employees for proof of pregnancy
Alliance members can access a 24-hours legal
before you pay any statutory maternity pay.
helpline offering advice on issues concerning
This will usually be a document called a MATB1
your setting or childminding business. Contact
certificate, issued by midwives and doctors 20
details can be found on your membership card.
weeks before the due date. As an employer, you
Alternatively, contact Information Services (with
can usually reclaim between 92% and 103% of
your membership number) for Law-Call’s details on
your employees’ statutory maternity, paternity,
0207 697 2595.
adoption and shared parental pay from HMRC. If

26

|

UNDER 5

Inspiring & engaging children

Children were born to move!
We have studied the research, listened to the
experts and developed fun, interactive activities
that support both body and brain development,
for the playful child who loves to move.
Linked to EYFS our award winning collection
of toe tapping, feet jumping, dough squeezing,
tummy tickling, instrument playing, lycra
pulling, parachute waving, body wriggling music
provides a fun filled educational experience for
both adults and children alike.

FREE song at www.funkyfeetmusic.co.uk

0800 689 1546
info@funkyfeetmusic.co.uk
Boogie.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

1

17/08/2017

19:43

Boogie Mites School Ready Literacy and Maths
Programmes contain training video, songs and
teacher notes to upskill your team, enabling
them to harness the power of music to support
development of strong foundations for literacy
and maths skills.

Claim a 10%
Teach Early Years
discount on either of
these programmes
with code TEY10%.
Via website shop:
www.boogiemites.co.uk

BEST PRACTICE

Move to
the beat

Helen Battelley, consultant and speaker
on physical development and
movement in early education and
founder of training company Music
and Movement, explains how you can use music
to encourage physical activity

J

anuary can sometimes mark the
start of a long wait for springtime.
With the night still starting early
and many cold and wet days ahead, children
can be reluctant to head outside for physical
activities. So how can we ensure children are
still moving enough?
Whatever the weather, early years
practitioners still need to help children meet
their recommended target of 180 minutes
of physical activity each day. We know that
exercise is the best medicine for lethargy,
releasing happy hormones, or endorphins,
called dopamine and serotonin, alongside a
host of other health benefits.
Fundamentally, we were born to move.
From grasping a hand, reaching to touch,
lifting your head, learning to crawl and walk –
all movement triggers sensory receptors and
builds neural pathways in the brain. The more
physical experiences a child has, the more
they will learn.
We learn more physical skills in our first
five years than at any other time in our lives.
Therefore it is important that young children
have plenty of time to practice and develop
those essential movement skills.

So how can we increase physical
activity levels in our setting?
Increase outdoor play opportunities –
Even in the rain – as the famous quote says:
‘There is no such thing as bad weather, only
the wrong clothing!’ Children love to splash
and jump in puddles, so try adding a dash
of food colouring to puddles, and ask: “Can
you jump in the red puddle?” For older
children, ask the children to demonstrate
the answers – for example: “What colour is

28

|

UNDER 5

a tomato?” (cueing them to jump in the red
puddle).
Ensure activities are inclusive: all children
should have the opportunity to participate
– On a windy day, make and create ribbon
streamers using florist ribbon, and ask the
children to discover which way the wind is
blowing. Use some expressive music to create
a ribbon dance. You could use Stravinksy’s
Fireworks and ask the children to ‘be’ the
fireworks while dancing. Let them explore their
language by adding sounds.
Provide exciting stimuli – Who doesn’t love
bubbles? They are not only visually stimulating
but encourage hand/eye control and temporal
awareness. Try blowing bubbles when
underneath a parachute.
Be more active yourself – We are role
models for the children in our care. If we are to
encourage them to be more active, we must
also be active too and ready to join in activities.
Reduce sedentary options – Last year
I started a revolution in some settings by
challenging staff to remove all chairs from
their setting for one day each week. The
initial response was not good, and I met a
lot of opposition. However, after the first few
trial days, all settings have since decided to
adopt the ‘no chair day’ approach every week.
Children will squat, lay, stand, lean and move
more freely. This does not limit their experiences
but increases them.
Find time to explore free movement using
music – I am sure we can all associate with

a certain song which will ‘get us dancing’; it
may be at a wedding or in the kitchen while
cooking. The children in your setting can see if
you are engaged with a song. They also know
and can certainly tell if we don’t want to do
something, so use music that you enjoy. Make
a staff playlist by adding three favourite songs
from each member of staff and dedicate time
for dancing/moving to this music every day.
It will boost their confidence and encourage
self-expression.
Here are some great tracks I have in my musical
repertoire:
Nefeli – Ludovicio Einaudi
Dancing Queen – Abba
Bicycle Race – Queen
Volare – Gypsy Kings
Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
Sette Bello – Rene Aubry
Practitioners often ask me how long should our
‘dance session’ last. Five minutes? 10? 20? The
answer is: for as long as every one is engaged
and interested, or whoever tires first – the child
or practitioner!

Further information
Watch the Alliance’s free webinar on the
Importance of Physical Activity in the Early
Years for free online at: bit.ly/2B5t67Z.
If you would like to know more about
Music and Movement’s staff training on EYFS
Inspirational dance and movement, or Baby
Music and Sensory play CPD, please take a look
at the website: www.musicandmovement.
org.uk or you can contact Helen directly at
Helen@musicandmovement.org.uk

need to have many
Feet Music, feels children
Kim Pott, director of Funky
m. They must be
ir full potential in the classroo
skills in place to reach the
large muscles, they
ructions, control fine and
able to listen and follow inst
to sit comfortably in
control and neck strength
must have balance, posture
imagination, memory
focus on paper as well as
a chair and eye strength to
in a logical order.
e something to write about
and sequencing skills to hav
for ideas on what
letters, and the right brain
The left-brain is used to form
stimulate the vestibular
ent to cross midlines and
to write. By using movem
ning.
ter prepared for formal lear
system, children will be bet
Funky Feet Music
Tel +44 07879 433458
uk
www.funkyfeetmusic.co.

Sticky Kids

Sticky Kids is the UK
â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading producer
of music and movem
ent resources for the
early years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tried an
d tested over 25 yea
rs
with generations of
children. Simple an
d
fun
to use, the range for
ms a comprehensiv
e
learning programm
e supporting Early Ye
ars
curriculum goals for
physical education,
language and listen
ing skills and much
more.
Charlie Irvine
07779 577019
www.stickykids.co
.uk

uring the first three years of life,
young children grow rapidly. It is
during this time that they start to
develop the skills they need to communicate
and socialise with others. By the time most
children have started attending early years
settings, they will have already mastered the
basics of these social skills and will already be
practicing them in their interactions and play.
Early years settings are safe, fun paces
for young children to practice because these
environments are planned specifically to engage
and encourage young children’s development
and, of course, they are also filled with many
other likeminded children.

Tricky moments
Inevitably there will be some difficult moments
as children start to learn these complex skills.
Taking turns, problem solving, regulation
and negotiation can all present challenges to
children. Their initial attempts at these skills may
seem clumsy and inconsistent but they may be
juggling several difficult areas of development
together and many of the associated skills will
still be immature.
Each area of learning and development
should not be viewed in isolation. They should
all be considered as different parts of the
development jigsaw, which eventually fits
together to make a whole. If a child is struggling
in one area of development then it is likely to
impact on other areas. For example, if a child is
struggling with communication they might also
find it difficult to interact, formulate and sustain
friendships.

Setting an example
At this early age it helps if practitioners can
model desired behaviours to children. If a child
is finding interactions with others difficult then
practitioners can guide their use of language

and actions. It also helps to be proactive, so
if a particular area or toy is known to cause
friction try to think of some different solutions
to the problem before it next arises.
Even from a very young age, children have
a good grasp of what is fair. Consult with them
on the different ways you can make sharing and
taking turns fun and fair. Some of the simplest
ideas work the best – such as using a sand
timer. This type of resource offers a tangible
way of giving children the tools they need to be
autonomous and problem solve.

only fully develop these skills later on.
Be aware that sometimes children’s
behaviour can indicate a more serious
underlying issue. Although most minor blips
in children’s behaviour will be related to a
developmental or physiological cause, some
can indicate a more serious concern such as
an underlying SEND or safeguarding issue. If
you suspect that this could be the case, then
you must raise these concerns through the
appropriate channels before you try to deal
with the behaviour itself.

Reflection and support

Realistic expectations

Children will sometimes need support during
difficult and stressful situations in order to help
them reflect and understand what has gone on.
This will help them regulate how they deal with
similar situations in the future. The very process
of managing difficult emotions is especially
challenging for young children so it can be
helpful to name and explore emotions. Try using
puppets and storytelling to help them express
any feelings that they can’t articulate.
A certain amount of spirited behaviour between
children can be helpful because it helps them
deal with problems and learn to communicate
more effectively. However, if a lively debate
then becomes more heated or a child is getting
distressed, then timely intervention from a
practitioner will usually help guide the situation
and get children back on track.
It is important that the intervening
practitioner’s behaviour is calm and consistent
– try to use clear and simple language. By
raising your voice, you will simply be reinforcing
the very behaviour you want to avoid. There is
little point trying to reason with children at this
age. The definition of ‘sorry’ is difficult for many
young children to understand. Understanding
the connection between upsetting others and
feeling remorse requires empathy and children

As children grow and their understanding
and reasoning skills improve, they become
much better at understanding and dealing
with complex concepts, situations and
relationships. By demonstrating how much you
want a child to behave and preparing them,
you can guide them through even quite difficult
situations. However, it is important that you
remain realistic about your expectations – even
the most mature four-year-olds may find some
unfamiliar social situations difficult.
By the time most children start school they will
have mastered a complex set of interconnected
skills which will help them communicate,
negotiate, follow rules, solve problems, selfreflect, take turns, share and be considerate.
Even once these skills have been mastered, they
will continue to be developed into adulthood.
Considering that there are so many
variations in young children’s development
and life experiences – some of which can
change from day to day – most children will
make the transition into school without any
lasting behavioural issues. This is a testament
to the skills of early years practitioners who
support children as they happily play and
engage with others in what can be a very
challenging period in their lives.

UNDER 5

|

31

NUTRITION

Healthy habits
for the new year

The Infant & Toddler Forum provides advice on preparing to promote healthy
eating in the year ahead
The start of a new year is the perfect time for
settings to reaffirm healthy feeding habits for
toddlers ready for the year ahead. A varied
and nutritious diet and good eating habits
are essential for toddlers’ health, growth
and development. Remember that toddlers’
nutritional requirements differ from those of
older children and adults.
Here are five steps you can take to keep
healthy eating in mind, developed by experts
specialising in early years nutrition and
development:

1. Have a routine, offering three
meals and 2-3 snacks each day
Toddlers need to eat small amounts of food
regularly throughout the day to maintain their
energy levels. Those who graze on snack
foods without a routine usually eat a less
nutritious diet and are more likely to suffer
dental cavities. A routine consisting of three
meals and two or three planned snacks
ensures a more balanced diet.
After eating a savoury course, toddlers may
still be interested in eating a second course
of different, sweeter foods, such as fruit and
yoghurt. By offering two courses of different
foods at meals, toddlers will be eating a wider
variety of nutrients.

2. Offer foods from all five food
groups each day
Each of the five food groups supplies a
different combination of nutrients – eating from

32

|

UNDER 5

all five, along with a vitamin D supplement, will
provide toddlers with a balanced, nutritional
and enjoyable diet. Sugary foods should be
eaten in smaller and limited qualities as these
foods provide energy, but fewer nutrients.
The five food groups:
Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other
starchy foods – include some at each meal
and in some snacks
Fruit and vegetables – include in each
meal and some snacks
Milk, cheese and yoghurt – offer one
of these three times each day. A serving
should be 120ml of milk or yoghurt.
Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and pulses – offer
these two or three times daily
Oils, butter and fat spreads – include small
amounts when preparing food.
Top tip: By limiting sweet foods to less than
four times in each day, such as three meals
and no more than one snack, the risk of dental
cavities is reduced.

3. Offer 6-8 drinks a day
Fresh drinking water should be available
to toddlers at all times – this should be
offered in a beaker or cup, not in bottles.
Around 100–120ml is about right. Toddlers
need to drink adequate fluids to maintain
hydration and prevent constipation. They
should be offered a drink with each meal and
snack. Bear in mind that they may need to

drink more in hot weather or when they are
particularly active.
Remember that bottles should not be used
by the time a child is about 12 months old.
Bottles of milk can become a comfort for
toddlers, which some may stubbornly refuse to
give up. Those who drink excess amounts of
milk are at risk of iron deficiency.

4. Encourage parents to give vitamin
D every day
Even toddlers eating nutritious diets do not
always get enough vitamin D as the main
source of this vitamin is not food and drink
but the skin. Vitamin D is made by the skin in
response to sunlight but in the UK this only
happens from April to September. This means
that toddlers should be given 10 micrograms of
vitamin D in a supplement each day.

5. Eat in social groups
Toddlers learn by copying other children and
adults, so eating together helps toddlers to
try new foods and over time to learn to like
them. Parents and carers should be advised
not to say: “Eat up your vegetables, then
you can have your pudding.” This makes the
pudding more desirable than the vegetables in
the toddler’s mind – the opposite of a healthy
eating message.
For more information, read the Infant & Toddler
Forum’s Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers leaflet
online at bit.ly/29MPPJ5.

The Infant & Toddler Forum is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Danone
Nutricia Early Life Nutrition. The views and outputs of the group, however, remain independent of
Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition and its commercial interests.

COMPETITION

WIN
WIN a Teddy Time set worth £100
Teddy Time is a series of fun exercises
designed specifically to encourage
young children to engage in a full body
workout for just 18 minutes each day.
Teddy Time is about more than just
exercise – the programme offers an
approach to young children about living
both a healthy and active lifestyle.
The prize includes two plush
weighted bear Teddy Time packs,
a Superhero Hera and Superhero
Colossus, a Teddy Time Storybook,
Teddy Time Exercise and music DVD

The views expressed in Under 5
are not necessarily those of the
Pre-school Learning Alliance. The
editor reserves the right to shorten
submitted material and to reprint copy
from newsletters. No responsibility
can be accepted for loss of MSS,
photographs or artwork. Unused
material will be returned if submitted
with a stamped, addressed envelope.
The editor is unable to enter into
correspondence about unsolicited copy.
Unless copyright is indicated, material
from Under 5 may be reproduced
without charge, for non-commercial
purposes only, on condition that the
source is acknowledged.
Acceptance of advertisements
for Under 5 does not constitute
endorsement by the charity of the
advertisers’ products.

and three Teddy Time t-shirts.
For your chance to win, simply email
your answer to the following question,
along with your full name and postal
address, to: under5.competitions@
pre-school.org.uk with the subject line:
Teddy Time by 20 January 2018.
When will the new GDPR regulations
come into effect (hint: see page 12)?
a) 25 January 2018
b) 1 May 2018
c) 25 May 2018

Teddy Time is a series of fun
exercises designed specifically
for young children to engage
in a full body workout for
just 18 minutes a day. But
Teddy Time is more than just
about exercise, this is the first
approach for young children
to learn about living a healthy
and active lifestyle.

PAYROLL

Pre-school Learning Alliance
Payroll Services
Tailor made for pre-schools
and nurseries
The complete PAYE service with
professional payslips and reports,
Complete management of your
pension obligations
Up to date legislative information
Affordable, Friendly and Efficient.
For an information pack, contact
Nicci on 01392 438977 or email

visit teddytime.net

devon.payroll@pre-school.org.uk
Find us on our website at
www.pre-school.org.uk/devon/payroll-service

Project1_Layout 1 16/07/2014 13:20 Page 1

SURFACING

TARMAC OFFER BY

Tarmat Ltd

NATIONWIDE SURFACING CONTRACTORS
Due to the current economic downturn
Tarmat Limited had negotiated massive discounts with all of our
suppliers which we can pass on to you, the customer
HEAVY DUTY TARMACADAM

We offer to supply and lay 6mm/10mm dense industrial tarmacadam laid to the correct thickness all rolled and consolidated from as little as £10 per square metre